U.S. House District 19 candidate Michael Dreikorn on NewsMakers. Topics include: What will set him apart from a better financed and more politically experienced field? Where does he draw the line at bipartisanship?

Paige Kreegel, M.D., a Republican candidate for U.S. House District 19, is interviewed by the Daily News editorial board on March 12.

Curt Clawson of Bonita Springs, candidate for U.S. House District 19, is interviewed on March 5 by the editorial board of the Naples Daily News.

Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, a candidate for U.S. House District 19, is interviewed on March 7 by the editorial board of the Naples Daily News.

Beginning Friday, the Naples Daily News and naplesnews.com will present a series of stories about the candidates and issues in the Republican race in Tuesday’s special primary election. The coverage that continues until Election Day will look at issues, such as immigration, and the tone of the campaign in advertising.

Carolina Hidalgo/Staff
William Kocses, a warehouse manager with the Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office, sets up voting booths at the Foxfire Country Club clubhouse in Naples on April 21, 2014, in preparation for Tuesday’s special primary election for the District 19 congressional seat.

Naples Daily News

Curt Clawson

Lizbeth Benacquisto, state Senate 27 candidate

Paige Kreegel, Dist. 14 US House GOP candidate on NewsMakers 4-15-12.

House District 19 GOP candidate Michael Dreikorn on NewsMakers 3-2-14.

The bitter battle between Republican congressional hopefuls comes to an end Tuesday, but it is unlikely the infighting will have a lasting effect.

Instead, Southwest Florida Republicans said they will unite behind the Republican nominee in preparation for the June 24 special election.

"We've done the same thing in the Republican presidential primaries," Naples Mayor John Sorey said. "We kind of beat one another up and then we have to go out and run against a Democrat. But whoever is the Republican candidate, you have to get that candidate elected."

Four Republicans — Lizbeth Benacquisto of Fort Myers, Curt Clawson of Bonita Springs, Michael Dreikorn of Bokeelia and Paige Kreegel of Estero and Punta Gorda — are vying for their party's nomination in Tuesday's primary.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott set the special election in January after former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fort Myers, resigned from office. Radel's resignation came two months after he pleaded guilty to a possession of cocaine charge in a Washington, D.C., courtroom.

The special election has been marred by negative advertising, with candidates and political action committees spending millions of dollars in television advertising alone.

"I'm not a negative campaigner but consultants think this is a way to win elections," Sorey said. "I think it's bad for democracy and I've heard people say ‘I'm not going to vote for any of these bums'."

Republicans are casting votes, however. More than 13,700 votes have been cast in Collier County; while more than 35,700 votes have been cast in Lee County.

Terry Miller, chairman of the Lee County Republicans, said this special election is one of the nastiest he's experienced in his 20 years in Southwest Florida. But even though the primary is pitting Republican against Republican, Miller said he's confident Republicans will stand behind the winner in June.

So too is Bill Barnett, a Naples councilman. Barnett said while the campaign was horrible, he said Republicans will back the nominee in June.

"I don't see any reason why they wouldn't," he said. "If you're a straight line Republican and you vote the ticket, you're going to vote for whoever wins."

The winner of Tuesday's election will face Democrat April Freeman, Libertarian Party of Florida candidate Ray Netherwood and write-in candidate Timothy Rossano in the June 24 special election.

Peter Bergerson, a political science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, said the "obvious question" for onlookers will be whether the difficult primary will benefit Southwest Florida Democrats.

Bergerson said it's unlikely to have a big effect in the short-term, but could have long-term effects.

"What will happen is it will suppress turnout in the competitive election in June and it will suppress the turnout in November," he said.

Bergerson said a drop in turnout isn't unheard of and pointed to the 2008 Republican presidential primary.

Bergerson said then-candidate Mitt Romney fared well in Collier County during the 2008 primary. However, when he didn't clinch the nomination, turnout in precincts that had high support for Romney saw lower turnout in the November general election.

"What it gets to is you have ideologues in which the ideology and philosophy of the candidate overrides the loyalty of the party," Bergerson said. "My guess is that the three major candidates and their supporters will be turned off by whoever wins and that will lead to some disgruntled internal nature of the Republican Party."

The potential for a rift is complicated by the fact that candidates will need to qualify for the general election almost immediately after Tuesday's special election. Qualifying for the general election begins at noon Monday.

Dreikorn is the only Republican thus far who has said he will run again in the August primary, regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's special primary. Dreikorn said he already has filed the necessary paperwork to get the process started and has been collecting signatures to qualify by the petition method. He said he will pay the fee if he doesn't get the necessary signatures in time.

David James, a spokesman for Clawson, said the Bonita Springs Republican "will only file to run" if he wins Tuesday.

Alex Melendez, a spokesman for Kreegel, said the campaign's "only focus is getting out our voters for the April 22 primary."

Erin Isaac, a spokesman for Benacquisto, made a similar statement, saying the campaign "is focused on Tuesday."

More than 200,000 Republicans in Collier and Lee counties are eligible to vote in the special primary.

While the majority of Lee County is in congressional District 19, only a portion of Collier County is in the district.

Dave Carpenter, qualifying officer for the Collier County supervisor of elections, said the elections office is preparing itself for calls from voters who live outside of the district wondering why their polling place is closed.

Carpenter said he doesn't know how many people will turn out on Election Day, especially since there's no contest for comparison with this one.

"We're kind of flying blind," he said.

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Fast facts

Who can vote: 54,000 registered Republicans in Collier County; 150,324 registered Republicans in Lee County

When: Polls in Collier and Lee counties are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

For more information about precinct locations or whether you're eligible to vote, call the Collier County Supervisor of Elections at 239-252-8683 or the Lee County Supervisor of Elections at 239-533-8683.